Abstract: | Irreversible Vlasov systems, i.e. systems governed by a Vlasov-type kinetic equation including entropy-producing collision terms, are treated by the techniques of singular normal modes and singular integral equations using a new indirect method which renders possible a straightforward generalization of the Case formalism as developed originally for collision-free Vlasov plasmas. This method is in contrast to a more complex method given by the present authors for the first application of the singular normal mode expansion to irreversible Vlasov systems (1970). The linearized Vlasov operator supplemented by complete Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook collision integrals as the most important model collision terms is analyzed in detail for a nonrelativistic, nondegenerate, stationary electron gas with neutralizing positive ions and neutral particles without a magnetic field at constant temperature, generalizations for more complex irreversible Vlasov systems being possible. The key of the indirect method given is the introduction of a transformed electron distribution function containing as an additive term an integral over the usual distribution function. |